Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-08-11
LADY AND WOMAN. +
The Inconcelvable Prejudice Existing
Against the Latter Term.

The Inconcelvable Prejudice Existing
Against the Latter Term.
1t is quite possible that cook, or
chambermaid, or q laundress may be a
lady at heart 1t is also possible that
the mistress of the house may be in no
sense lady. And this brings us to
the query: "What does the word lady
signify?" To most of us, if we think
about it, it means human being of
the female sex, gifted with culture,
refinement and breeding. We under
stand it in some way as descriptive of
the kind of woman under considera-
ton. 1t does not mean the costume
she wears. The number of dollars to
her credit has nothing to do with it,
and it certainly does not apply to every
person who wears petticoat. But,
Notwithstanding the general convic-
ton that ''lady" conveys a peculiar
meaning, there has long been a
tendency, even among well-bred peo-
pie, to refer to every woman, except
the lowest working class, as lady.
The custom among domestics of
clubbing the entire part of female crea-
ton as ladies | have sometimes attrib-
uted to our democratic form of gov
ernment. The peasants Of the old
world never dream of being "ladies"
in their own country. They come
here, where their chance is as good as
any ones one day to ride in their own
coach-and-four; they find others no
better than they called ladies; the word
has pleasant sound in their untutored
and unreasoning ears, and they cling
to it, as if by keeping a tight grip they
would the sooner reach the coveted
position. This is notion of my own,
in which l may be mistaken. At all
events the practice prevails, particular
ly among the class l have mentioned,
and no amount of reasoning will be
likely to uproot it.
But why is there a prejudice against
the term womanP 1t is good Anglo
Saxon word, comprehensive and intel
ligent, and, as | understand it, carries
no reproach with it. No greater praise
can be paid to the human female than
to call her a womanly woman" 1t
gives an impression of combination
of virtues and graces of mind and
heart that can be conveyed by no other
words. "A fine woman" "a good
woman" or "a plain woman" is quite
sufficient for ordinary usage. The only
time and season when there seems to
be any real demand for the word lady
is in describing woman of rare ac-
complishments, elegant manners and
high birth. And, after all, it seems to
me that the terms gentlewoman and
lady are synonymous. The one is de-
fined as gentle and well-bred. Does
the other mean more or less? 1t does
not follow that "well-bred means
elegance of manner. The most suave
and polished exterior may be rotten at
the core, and an unpretentious surface
may conceal the kindness and gentle
ness of nature without which no man
or woman can deserve the appellation
of gentleman or lady. But in spite OF
the foregone conclusion that woman is
a proper and sensible title for all fe-
male humankind, there is a tremendous
prejudice against it, especially among
working-women of the intermediate
class. The saleswomen in stores are
among the greatest sticklers for theil
rights in this matter. Has any ont
ever known saleswoman to ad
vertise for placer Every paper, how
ever, sets forth the wants of more ol
less salesladies." They may ever,
one of them be ladies. Are they any
the less -PhiladeIphiG Record